Barriers
by Orioseo
Summary: She was always watching, and so was he. Now came their chance to break the barriers and be closer ... Rated T for safety and/or future content. LenXMiku and other couples too.
1. Watching

She watched him.

Every time he walked through the halls, with blond hair seeming to capture stray sunlight and cerulean eyes sparkling, she watched him.

It wasn't like he would notice, since she was hidden in one of the lines that flanked him on the sides. But she took a strange consolance in this information, convincing herself that it was better that he didn't see her. After all, he was the prince of the school, and what could he want to do with her?

She wasn't much of a diva. Her long teal hair was always tied up in her signature pigtails and she had an average bust. She didn't ruin her body like the other girls in her school with all their makeup and extra-padded bras. She was happy with the way she looked, if not overly pleased. Oh well, at least she wasn't a conceited snob like Neru and her little ring of friends.

Neru, for some reason was jealous of her. Her, Hatsune Miku, the tealette who was cheerful and always handed out small treats on holidays. Of course Neru never said this aloud, just did small injustices to her, like fill her shampoo bottle with gray dye or cut two holes in the back of her skirt. Miku just sat quietly and dealt with it.

She did have friends, people who appreactated her qualities. Tomboy Luka, bouncy Rin, rabbitlike Gumi, and busty Meiko. They always comforted her after Neru pulled one of her hateful pranks and were always there to cover for her. She was grateful to have friends like them.

Rin was her closest friend, and she had HIM for a brother, a timely coincidence. Miku always shied away when he came to talk to his sister, and he grew more confused each time she did it.

"She likes you," said Rin one Saturday when he asked her about it. "But she thinks you don't like her."

It wasn't true, not in the least bit. Len always watched her, just as she watched him. That teal hair always stuck out in the lines flanking him as he walked to first period, and his shades concealed the fact that he was watching her watch him. He knew her, not in a close sense, but enough to greet her.

"Hatsune Miku."

She jumped and looked up from the book she was reading. Was it Neru again, here to make her life even more miserable than it already was? Science class was not the time to deal with her, as there were plenty of chemicals to prank her with.

She stifled a gasp as she realized it was him. _Him. _Kagamine Len, school prince, leaning against the front of her desk, eyes boring twin holes into her forehead. Her bangs covered a blush as she answered, "Yes?"

He frowned. He wanted to see her face, her eyes, the cheeks that always contained a slight hint of rose. He spoke again, hoping to catch her attention.

"Hatsune-san, we're partners for the project. Would you like to get started?" He was referring to the science fair project that she was supposed to be working on, but she had gotten sidetracked by the manga she was reading.

Miku nodded, quiet. "O-of course, Kagamine-kun. W-w-what is our subject?"

Len frowned again at her stuttering. She still wasn't looking up. He sighed and continued. "I was thinking that we could do a model on the subdivisions of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Then we could give a- eh? Are you alright, Hatsune-san? You look a little pale."

Miku was not good at science, not good at all. She was struggling with a low C in it, with B's and a few A's in her other subjects. The only class she had no trouble in was music, but what use would singing be in a class llike science?

"F-forgive me, Kagamine-kun, but I'm horrible at science. You ight as well find another partner, because we'll surely fail with me for-"

"Nonsense!" He clenched the edge of the desk. "I'll show you everything you need to know. I won't let you fail, Miku, I promise!"

He shut his mouth in shock, realizing what he'd just said. He wasn't being proper; he'd called her Miku! They barely knew each other and he-

"I apologize, Hatsune-san. I didn''t mean to call you by-"

"It's fine."

"-your first name, it was terribly improper of- eh?" He stopped his babbling to stare at her.

For the first time since he'd arrived at her desk, she looked up. A faint smile curved the corners of her lips upward, and her cheeks were pinker than before. Her eyes shone as she spoke.

"You can call me Miku. I don't mind ... it's fine coming from you."

Before he could reply, the bell rang. Miku tucked her manga into her bag and looked down at her desk again.

"So ... I'll see you after school, Kagamine-kun?"

Len busied himself in tucking his shades into his shirt pocket.

"... okay Hatsu- I mean, Miku."

She smiled at him again as she departed from the classroom.

He felt like he was on Cloud Nine.

~::*::~::*::~

_You are the princess, and I am the servant._

_Destinies divided, lovers united._

_If it's to make you feel safe,_

_I'll take your sword instead._

_For no weapen can peirce our shield of love._

~::*::~::*::~

"And an easy way to remember this is that Pro is No and Eu is Yes."

Miku was sitting on the couch in the Kagamine's living room, listening to Len explain the basics of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. She had to admit, with him tutoring her, she understood it a lot better than when she listened to her teacher.

"Do you understand it now, Miku-chan?"

She stopped staring dreamily at his face and nodded vigorously. "Yes, thank you very mmuch, Kagamine-kun." She yawned, surprised at how tired she was. Len glanced at the clock and his eyes widened.

"Oh no! It's ten-thirty, I'd better walk you home Hatsune-san."

Miku smiled at him as she slid on her coat. "Thank you for your consideration, Kagamine-kun."

"You can call me Len," he muttered, blushing. Miku smiled again.

"Okay then, Len-kun. Shall we walk?"

They walked through the cold night streets toward Miku's house. The silence between them was comfortable, if not just the least bit awkward.

"Um ... here's my house."

They stopped in front of a large teal mansion. Miku blushed while Len stared at it, wide-eyed.

"Oh, wow ... you must be rich, Miku-chan!"

She looked down, melancholy. "Yeah ... but there's a price to pay for having these luxuries." Len kept quiet, sensing that it was none of his business. Suddenly, Miku turned to him.

"Thank you for walking me home, Len-kun! I ... appreciate it." Her eyes shone in the light from the streetlamps.

Len tried to stifle the blood rushing to his cheeks and failed. "Uh ... no problem," he said intelligently.

Miku leaned up on her toes and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight."

Now his entire fave was red. "G-goodnight, Miku-chan."

He watched her walk up the wide porcelain dorrsteps. And then he walked back home.

~::*::~::*::~

_I am the princess, and you are the servant. _

_Destinies slashed, battles clashed._

_I was born in a tangle of colors and music,_

_But you are the one that is free._

~::*::~::*::~

**Starri: My second Vocaloid fanfic! Yes, I used some DOE lyrics in here, but some I switched around and it stars Miku and Len, not Rin and Len. Anyways, please R&R and tell me if you want me to continue this. Remember the RRC(Rate and review cycle):**

_**R&RsEnergy for meEnergy for chaptersFaster updatesMore chapters!**_


	2. Protecting

**Starri: Thanks to all my reviewers for giving me energy for the upcoming chapters~ and FEGeek read my mind, that was exactly what I was gonna throw into this chapter :D And some hormones, also ... heheheh ... ):J**

**Len: Be afraid, be very afraid! DX**

**Teto: Anyways ... the disclaimer for the last chapter and this one: Starrishine does not own us, but she does owe me some bread.**

**Starri: Patience, pinky. Cue the chapter!**

_**The next day:**_

"Miku-sama, there's someone waiting for you down at the lobby."

"Uggghhh ..."

Miku groaned as she emerged, bedheaded, from under her bedsheets. She glances at her clock to see that it was only seven, and she needed to be at school by eight thirty. Who would be at her house at this time of morning?

Nevertheless, she dragged herself out of bed and got ready for school. Once her uniform was on, teeth brushed, and hair pinned, she headed downstairs to see who her visitor was. She was immediately jolted awake when she reached the lobby.

Len Kagamine was in her living room, holding a cup of fresh tea as he chatted with one of the maids. As she took the last step into the living room, he saw her and hurriedly put down his tea.

"Ah, Miku-chan. I apologize if I was interrupting your sleep ..."

Miku blushed and waved her arms wildly. "Of c-course not, Len-kun! I was going to get up anyways ..." She blinked guiltily at the lie.

Len smiled in relief. "Oh, thank goodness, then. I was wondering if you'd like to work some more on the project?"

Miku nodded like a bobblehead, a faint pink tinge still on her cheeks. "Hai, where should we start?"

Len and Miku spent the next hour discussing wha they should do. Miku thought they should make models of the two types of cells, but Len argued that it would be more prudent to type up a research paper on it instead. At one point, they were pouting, bottom lips poked out and eyes boring into each others'. Finally, Len blinked, relaxed, and waved the white flag. Miku happily got up to get supplies from the kitchen, but ...

"Miku-sama, thirty minutes!"

Miku gasped. They'd been arguing for an hour and only had thirty minuted to get to class.

"Come on oh my shrine how in the name of negi could we be late hurry up Len we gotta get there!" Miku chattered this out at hyperspeed as she grabbed Len by the hand (earning a blush from him) and dashed out the door, forgetting her lunch. She was already halfway down the street when one of the maids spotted it and called out to her.

Unfortunately, she was too busy panicking about how she was going to get in class on time to hear.

::*::~::*::~::*::~

_You are the princess, and I am the servant._

_Destinies brought together by fate._

_If it's to show my love, I'll die for you._

_And one day you'll be with me ..._

::*::~::*::~::*::~

Miku doodled absently on her notebook in third-period independent study. She had no homework to do so far, and nobody was in this class that she knew but Len and Kaito, a blue-haired guy that was childhood friends with Meiko. Kaito was snoozing on his desk, mumbling about ice cream (and at one point Meiko in a red thong o.O). And she was too embarrassed to pass notes to _him _...

She was jolted out of her reverie by the sound smack of a paper ball against the side of her head.

The tealette glanced down, annoyed, to find a neat-looking papaer ball (if that's even possible) sitting on her desk. She unfolded it to find a thin, scrawly note at the top of the page: _Miku! This is boring, isn't it? _She looked up to find Len, from two rows ahead and a seat to the side, grinning at her and waving. She blushed and scribbled something back.

_Yeah, I'd rather be playing Prodi Wars. _**(A.N. This is a fantasy produce game. You play as a character that sports and outfit and weapon based on your favorite veggie or fruit. Refer to the bottom of this for more details!)** Miku tossed to note back to Len, who caught it deftly. She watched as he unfolded it, a brief look of shock flickering through his expression, then took out his bright yellow pencil and scrawled back a reply. The note skidded to a halt at her feet, and she bent to pick it up.

_I love that game! Bani-kun's the best character on there!_

She smiled and wrote an answer, adding a small doodle of a leek next to it. Then she tossed it back, making sure Tei-sensei was still typing on her laptop.

_Are you kidding me? Nega-chan is definitely better._

Len smirked at her and shook his head, thumping the piece pf paper back, where it bounced off her cheek and onto the desktop.

_No, she only has three-hundred attack points and all her charm power goes into shielding. Bani-kun, however, has the best attacks and levels the fastest._

Miku stuck her tongue out at him playfully, jotting down an answer before throwing it back. He caught it skillfully.

_Hmph, and he dies the quickest too. Nega-chan is a survivalist ... that's why she has so many shields._

Len scritched one last reply before getting up and handing it to her secretly on his way to sharpen a pencil.

_Yes, but is shielding and dragging the battle on forever really better than killing the monster quickly? Even if you do die, you can always go back._

Before Miku could write a reply, the bell rang. Tei gave a small jump, almost dropping her laptop, as the class departed. Len stopped by Miku's desk, holding out a hand, with Kaito by his side.

"Come on, it's lunchtime!" He said. "Wouldn't want to make Rin angry by being late, eh?"

Kaito wiped a speck of drool off his chin. "I've been dreaming about my ice cream sandwich all day ..."

Miku smiled and took the hand that was offered to her. Because she knew that hand would be her sanctuary.

::*::~::*::~::*::~

_I am the princess, you are the servant._

_Souls ripped apart by winds of fate._

_I know I won't face this alone,_

_but I want to show you that I can ..._

::*::~::*::~::*::~

As soon as she reached into her bag, Miku knew there was a problem.

"Oh no! I forgot my lunch, I knew that I was missing something."

"Never question your intuition," said Luka with a mouthful of tuna. "No worries. We'll share ours with you, right, Rin?"

Rin, who was munching on an orange popsicle, shielded her orange-shaped lunchbox protectively. "Do we have to?"

Meiko glared at her along with Luka. "_Right, Rin?.!_"

"Meep! Okay, okay, I'll share. Just stop pointing that tuna at me that way ..."

Gumi threw in one last carrot stick before handing the remainder of her lunch to Miku. "It's all yours, Mi-chan."

Miku blushed. "I-it's fine, I don't want you guys to go hungry, I'll just buy something frm the vending machine-"

"Nonsense, Miku."

The tealette turned to see Len, who'd just returned with Piko and Kaito from the lockers. Piko smiled at her.

"Yeah, Miku-san! You're always kind to everyone; I'm sure every student at this school owes you. So we're going to help you out!"

"In fact, you can have my lunch. I'll just share with Mei-chan~" Kaito sidled over to Meiko, cat-eared, as she chewed on a tomato-pesto and mozzerella sandwich. She shoved his head into the ground without looking up.

"Ah, sonani arigato," Miku said gratefully, oblivious to Kaito desperately tugging at his head to free it from the ground. "I'm so happy to know that you guys are watching out for me ..."

Gumi grinned. "No need to get emotional, Miku! Come on, or the lunch period's gonna be over before you know it."

Once Miku had a small sample of everyone's lunch (including Kaito's, when the latter had finally managed to pull his head from the ground), she ate slowly, thanking everyone between each bite.

"Arigato, arigato ... you didn't have to do this for me-"

"Miku! Just shut up and eat!" growled an irritated Luka, causing everyone to laugh.

Just as Miku was getting to the last snack, which happened to be Len's, a shadow fell over her. Her friends all stopped talking and looked up.

Unsurprisingly, Neru stood there with Haku, Miki, Zatsune, and Lily, with the wannabe Tia trailing behind them. Neru smirked at her, twirling her phone between her fingers.

"Well, well, if it isn't Freakaloid and all her mutant friends. Wonder what's for lunch today~" Before Miku could stop her, Neru snatched up her makeshift plate of Gumi's bento box and inspected the contents carefully. Her eyes lit up.

"Ooh, banana brioche, my favorite! You don't mind, do you? Yum." Neru teasingly licked her lips, sending her cronies into howls of laughter. Haku was the only one who remained quiet.

Miku's lip trembled. Angrily, Meiko, Luka and Rin stood up.

"Hey, Bleached Blondie! Who do you think you are?"

"Yeah, give us the lunch box!"

"You have no right to be over here!"

Neru smirked and rolled her eyes, snapping her fingers. Zatsune stepped foward menacingly.

"I've just noticed something, Neru. Whenever we come over to play with Miku-baka, it's always these freaks that come to her defense. Can't she even defend herself, or is she too weak for that?" Miki and Lily giggled appreciatively as Miku trembled some more. She looked on the verge of tears.

Just as Rin was about to open her mouth, another voice cut across hers.

"I've got it, sis."

Len stood in front of Neru's little gang. Miku gave a tiny gasp of surprise. Len raised his chin defiantly.

Neru suddenly switched to flirt mode, batting her eyelashes and striking a seemingly sexy pose.

"Hi, Len-samaaa~ how are you today?" she purred. Luka fake-retched in disgust, glancing at Miku while pointing silently at Neru. The tealette allowed a small, watery smile to creep back onto her face.

Len spoke coldly. "Leave, Neru-san. There are plenty of other spots to dine in." **(A.N. Lord, bless this child for remembering his manners in a situation like this lol) **Neru's silly smile faltered.

"But Len-sama, wouldn't you rather hang out with us instead of these ... things?" Piko made a noise of indignation, but Len wasn't having it.

"I'd rather hang out with my _friends, _thank you, than you and your gang. Now, if you will just hand that over." Len impatiently held out his arm for the bento box. Neru scowled, back to her old ugly self, and dropped it into his hand.

"C'mon, girls." she muttered, turning away. The members of her ring, excluding Haku, made faces at Miku and her friends as they left. Neru, who was last, paused midstep and swiveled to face Miku.

"You're gonna get it _big time, _Hatsune!" she spat. Quickly, she spun back around and ran to catch up to her friends. Miku shuddered, and Gumi put a consoling hand on her shoulder.

"Don't listen to her, Miku. She's just another jealous skank."

"Yeah Miku, you must be awesome, or else you wouldn't have so many haters!" Rin piped, trying to lighten the mood. Her twin turned to face Miku, replacing his cold expression with a soft smile. He handed her lunch back to her silently.

"I believe this belongs to you."

"Hey! Don't forget who let her borrow it!"

Ignoring Gumi, Miku gazed up at Len, a grateful expression on her face.

"Sonani arigato, Len-kun. I hate to burden you all with my troubles, though ..."

Meiko slapped her cheerfully on the back. "Nonsense, Miku! We, your friends, are always here to help."

"Yeah, so don't hesitate to ask!" added Rin.

"We'll protect you, Miku, just like you watch over us." Kaito exclaimed, licking ice cream that mysteriously appeared out of thin air.

"You're the ribbon that holds our group together," said Piko shyly, smiling softly at Miku.

"And without you, we'd be dust in the wind!" Luka grinned.

"We'll always be there for you, Miku. Always." Len smiled down at her, backlit by the sun. For an instant, he looked like Apollo.

Blushing from the overload of complements, Miku stuttered, "A-arigato ... I'm so happy to know that ..."

Right on cue, the lunch bell rang. Miku and her friends chatted animatedly as they, once again, got ready for class. Gumi popped the lid back on her bento box and bid a hearty farewell as everyone departed to their respective classes.

It wasn't until halfway to math class that Miku realized that she'd forgotten to eat the brioche that her friends had fought for.

Shoot.

**Starri: Gumi's gonna eat that brioche. Bad mistake, Miku-chii~**

**Len: WHAT?.! Why is it MY snack that's left uneaten!**

**Miku: It's okay, we can make a whole 'nother batch together.**

**Len: *blushes* Miku ...**

**Miku: *also blushes* Len ...**

**Starri: Okay, enough lovey-doveyness! Please review, and I'll come out with a longer chapter! Remember the Energy Cycle:**

**Reviews = energy = faster typing = longer chapters = more story!**

**BTW: Prodi Wars is currently copyrighted by me and my uncle, who is helping me make it. It'll be released whenever, but the point is that I and the rest of HMI own it. Anyways, R&R, pleases!**

**(P.S.): "Sonani arigato" means "thank you very much" in Japanese. Hope that little morsel is useful to you!**


	3. Shopping

The next morning, Miku was greeted early by a cheerful Len at her door.

"It's Saturday!" he exclaimed, eyes sparkling. "If we finish the project now, we'll have time to do what we want for the rest of the weekend!"

Due to a parent-teacher conference schedule, school was closed on Monday. The three-day weekend was, of course greeted by cheers from everyone.

"Finally," Luka had said,"I'll get to go to that fishing hole like I wanted!"

Rin had stuck out her tongue. "Meh, at least you have something cool to do. I'm stuck with Akaito for a science partner. What luck!"

And now, sitting next to Len on the carpet and painting the cells with a delicate layer of glaze, she realized how lucky she was. After all, not many people get paired with the school prince ...

"Ah, we're done! What do you think, Miku?"

She sat back on her heels and observed their creations. The cells were slightly lopsided and still smelled of rubbery glue, but they sparkled in the light and were firm to the touch. Now, all that remained was to make a display board ...

"We've done enough now ... I think it's be better to do the board later." Len glanced over at her and smiled, earning a light blush. "Come on, let's go into the city. I'd like to have a look around."

Miku grinned at him. "You mean you want to shop?"

Len turned a bright red. "Sh-shut up! Shopping's for ... er ... eh. Yeah, I want to shop."

They both laughed, and Miku got up, brushed off her robe (which she had hurriedly tossed on), and promised to be back within ten minutes. Politely thanking a maid who offered to clean up their mess, she dashed up the wide staircase to her room, shut and locked the door, and threw open her rather large wardrobe.

"Choices, choices," she muttered, picking through pastel-colored shirts and skirts. "Come on, I need to look cute today!"

A small mew sounded at her feet. Looking down, Miku saw her violet kitten, Iroha, curling around her ankles and purring. She gently scooped the feline up and stroked her ears.

"Iroha, what do you think I should wear? I need something attractive and innocent ..." she trailed off.

The cat was already mewling and batting at a dress. Setting Iroha on the bed, Miku pulled out the chosen article of clothing and was pleasantly surprised. The ensemble consisted of a powder-blue shirt with a pink paw-print in the center and small pink paw prints trimming the sleeves and hem, a pink skirt with a silver chain and paw-print trinkets, and blue stockings with polka-dot paw prints.

Miku's eyes watered. "It's a masterpeice!" She scooped up Iroha, who was in the middle of cleaning her ears, and nuzzled her affectionately. "Thank you, Ro-chan!"

"Nyan~" Iroha leaped, purring, out of Miku's arms and watched the tealette scramble around, pulling on her clothes and grabbing matching accessories from drawers. When she was done, she inspected herself critically in the mirror and turned to Iroha.

"What do you think, Ro-chan? Am I ... cute?"

"Nyea~ Nyea~" Iroha mewled and rubbed against Miku's hand. Miku laughed and scratched her ears.

"That sounds like a yes. Well, see you later, Iroha!" The tealette dashed out the door, leaving it open, and scurried down the stairs. Halfway down, she froze.

"Oh no! I forgot my pocketbook!" She scrambled back up to her room, startling Iroha, who mewled indignantly, and stuttered out a quick apology to the kitten before bounding back out the door.

Meanwhile, Len was growing increasingly worried as Miku's ten minutes dragged on.

_I wonder what's taking her so long ... I'll go ask a maid to check on her._ He walked toward tthe kitchen, not even passing the stairs when -

"KYAAAA!"

"WHOA!"

A thorougly startled Miku came toppling onto Len, not being able to hit the brakes in time. The blond was knocked over backwards as Miku fell onto him, knocking the air out of his lungs. He squirmed uncomfortably.

_She's so soft ..._ Len blushed and shook his head at the perverted thought. _Len, you idiot!_ His concience screamed. _Get__ her off of you and apologize! Geez, sometimes I HATE being your brain._

_He's so ... warm ... _Miku stifled an embarrassed squeak and blushed madly. _Miku, what are you thinking? Get off of him!_ The tealette quickly scrambled off of her blond visitor, stood up, and bowed.

"Gomen, Len-kun! It's my fault for being so careless! Please forgive me!"

Len stood up as well, still partly surprised.

"No, no, I should have paid attention to where I was going. I was just going to ask someone to check on you. I was getting a bit worried ..."

Miku squealed inwardly. He, Len, school prince, was worried about HER? Kami couldn't have been more gracious.

"Ehem. Anyways, shall we go?" Len asked, looking at her quizziacly.

Miku composed herself. "Hai, let's."

And Len, as he was raised, held open the door for his companion, called a farewell to the maids, and followed her outside for the brief walk to Tokyo.

~::*::~::*::~

_You are the princess, and I am the servant._

_My beautiful angel swathed in light ..._

_Should any sins cross your path,_

_I assure you, I will not let them prevail._

_~::*::~::*::~_

When they arrived at the Tokyo mall, they were immediately divided on store decisions.

"But, Len-kun, that pet shop is so cute!" Miku said, trying hard not to whine.

"Ah, Miku-chan, I wanted to go to the game station. But ..."

Miku pondered for a second. She didn't like where this conversation was heading, but knew where it would end. She sighed.

"Hey ... we can go to our separate stores, and meet at the food court in an hour. In front of the taiyaki stand."

Len frowned a bit. "Er ... okay. But after that, we're shopping together!"

Miku grinned and blushed. "Mochiron! This is a trip for the both of us, right?"

Len smiled at her, eyes softening. "Okay, then. See you in an hour!"

And so the two parted ways for their brief time, suddenly feeling small empty areas in their hearts.

...

As Miku walked into the pet shop, she realized that it was much bigger inside than it looked outside. Shelves lined the walls, each with a glass cage on them in which something slithered, hopped, or crawled. Pet supplies battled for room on the adjacent side, somehow managing to keep to their own sections. Bird cages hung from the ceiling, each with their own separate bird species. And last, but most definately not least, cat and dog cages were stuffed on the back wall, each with their occupants mewling or whining morosely.

Miku giggled and skipped foward, about to run to them, when she tripped and fell sideways into someone, nearly knocking them to the floor. She hurriedly looked up, and was surprised by who she saw.

"Piko-kun?"

Piko looked down at her, equally surprised. "M-Miku-san?"

He set her back on her feet and shyly smiled. "W-what brings you here today?"

Miku smiled. "I came here with Len-kun to do some window shopping, but we both found stored that we liked, so we had to split up."

Piko's eyebrows made a miniscule upward movement. "Len's here, too?"

Miku nodded, filled with warmth at his name. "Yeah, he's at the arcade across the hall."

Piko smiled, though it looked forced. "W-well, I'll go see him l-later, I suppose. I needed t-to talk to him about something."

Miku straightened and brushed herself off. "Anyways, are you here to buy anything?"

Piko shook his head. "No, I-I just came here to look at the birds. My c-cousin wanted one, b-but she didn't have time to get one."

Miku looked at him curiously. "Who's your cousin?"

Piko shifted a bit. "Um, h-her name is Yowane Haku. I t-think we've all met her before."

Miku's face hardened a fraction. "Yes, I believe we have."

Piko looked at her nervously. "L-listen, Miku! S-she's not that bad, really! She never i-insults others or is m-mean to them. She j-just hangs o-o-out with the wrong group." He took a deep breath. "You h-have no idea what N-Neru does to her. She s-sits and tells me sometimes, w-when she comes over to my h-house. She won't stop c-crying, and she d-drowns all her sorrows in d-drinks when I'm not around. Sake s-seems to be the only thing that she t-turns to, other than me. I'm just ... w-w-worried about her. She's like a l-little sister to me." Piko's lip trembled.

Miku was shocked, to say the least. "Y-you mean, all those times I see her with Neru-"

Piko looked at her sadly. "T-those times were all forced. They look close out in the open, but when they go somewhere l-like the g-girls' locker room, Neru h-hits her or yells at her. It's driving H-Haku-chan mad."

Miku could have cried. No wonder Haku always looked so sad and lost. Neru was slowly taking the life force out of her, blow by blow. She shook her head, overcome by a new feeling of sympathy and determination for Haku.

"C'mon, Piko. Let's buy her that bird."

~::*::~::*::~

_I am the princess, and you are the sevant. _

_My graced savior in shining armor ..._

_I know that you will protect me through all._

_After all, isn't this what you call love?_

_~::*::~::*::~_

**Starri: Haku's shyness finally revealed! What will happen next?**

**Piko: *.* Y-you just ... gave it away ...**

**Starri: Heck yeah I did! :3 Thanks to all my awesome reviewers~ A giant cookie for all of you!**

**Remember:**

****Reviews = energy = faster typing = longer chapters = more story!****

****(P.S)Mochiron means "of course" in Japanese. Another tip!****


	4. Comforting

Forty minutes later, Miku and Piko walked out of the pet shop, with Piko carefully holding a small box with a blue parakeet within it.

"I'm sure Haku-chan will love this!" Piko beamed as he gently cradled the carrier.

Miku smiled."Of course she will, especially since it's from someone she cares about."

They walked in silence for a while. Suddenly and shyly, Piko looked over at his teal-haired companion.

"H-hey, Miku-san, I was wondering if ..." He blushed and looked away.

Miku glanced over at him curiously. "Yes?"

"U-um," Piko stuttered, "Would you like to go out with-"

"Miku-chan!"

Miku and Piko turned to see Len jogging towards them, a small plastic bag in one of his hands. He finally reached them, his cheerful grin faltering a bit when he noticed Piko.

"I got what I ...Ah ... konbanwa, Utatane-kun."

Piko nodded back politely, his hook-shaped strand of hair bouncing slightly. "Konbanwa, Kagamine-kun."

Miku glanced between the both of them, bewildered. There was a small, thin layer of cold tension in the air between the two males. Miku couldn't figure out why, though ... these two were the best of friends.

"Anyways ... I'll call you later, Miku-san, and we can talk more." Piko beamed cheerfully at her, waved to Len, and walked off cradling the parakeet box, his step light-footed as usual.

Len stared off after him with an unreadable expression, then abruptly turned back to Miku. He happily held the plastic bag out to her, the grin creeping back onto his face.

"This is for you, Miku-chan. I though you might like it."

Miku hesitantly took the bag and opened it, peeking inside. What she saw made her squeal.

"YOU GOT THE SECOND EDITION OF PRODI WARS?.!" She shrieked, tearing the game from the bag and staring at it, thoroughly shocked.

Len rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, still blushing a little. "Well ... I thought I could bring my Xbox over and we could play it at your house, perhaps? Or Kaito might be free ..."

It was an impromptu decision, but Miku threw her arms, which were still clutching the game, around his neck and buried her face into his chest out of sheer joy. Len stopped talking and turned beet red, and passerby slowed down around them to watch. A few wolf-whistled.

Miku, on the other hand, was enjoying the experience. Len had an intoxicating scent, a mixture of bananas and honeysuckle. She didn't waste time wondering why he smelled like honeysuckle; she just inhaled as much as she could.

Len hesitantly put his hands on her back and patted her, still blushing heavily. He was sure she could feel his heartbeat accelerating and his breathing becoming irregular. What was this ... this warm feeling fluttering across his chest? Surely this was a forgotten sensation ... not a new one ...

Miku finally drew away, her precious gift still clutched in her hand. Her cheeks were tinged with the signature pink blush that appeared whenever she was embarrased of flustered. In this case she was both. She looked down at her hands, avoiding Len's eyes. Len looked at her curiously, and then chuckled. He ruffled her hair gently.

"Well ... I-I'm glad you like my gift."

Miku nodded, the pink deepening. "Yeah ... it was ... thoughtful of you."

They were interrupted by an unpleasantly familiar voice.

"Well hel_lo_. If it isn't the little Bakaloid and ... eh? Kagamine-sama?.!"

Len and Miku turned to see a shocked Neru, a silent Haku, and a smirking Zatsune. All of them, save Haku, were glaring at Miku, who became suddenly withdrawn, the blush dissapearing. The tealette glanced at Haku, who was staring at the floor.

Neru grinned in a flirty way, which made her face look like an exited hyena's. "Why _hello,_ Kagamine-sama! We were just going to the music store. Would you like to join us? I'd like to hear some of your records in perso-"

"That won't be necessary," Len said coldly, cutting her off. "I was just about to take Miku home."

Neru looked at Miku as if she was something dead on the side of the road. "Eh? _Her?_ Wouldn't you much rather hang out with us instead of ... _that?_"

Miku swallowed the lump in her throat and chanted to herself a phrase that her brother had always said t her before he left.

_Haters gonna hate. Haters gonna hate. Haters gonna hate. Haters gonna hate._ The phrase repeated itself in her mind, like a dishwasher on Extra-Rinse cycle.

Meanwhile, Neru was still talking. "You wouldn't want to catch her hideous disease, would you? Or maybe you could bring her along to clinic so we can vaccinate her." Zatsune howled with her screechy laughter, and Haku let out a few forced "Heh, heh's. Neru smirked at her own genius.

They all cut off when Len glowered icily at them.

"As I said, I am _busy._" He took Miku's hand. "Come on, Miku."

He turned his back on them and pulled her away, leaving Neru and her cronies in the middle of the mallway, staring after them in fury.

Len looked down worriedly at his teal-haired companion. "Are you okay?"

Surprisingly, Miku grinned up at him. "Yeah, just fine."

And as the two walked toward the mall doors, people couldn't help but whisper about how cute they looked.

~::*::~::*::~

_You are the princess, and I am the servant._

_Destiny blessed fortune upon our past._

_But the future? I cannot tell_

_Though either way, I shall not let it harm you._

_~::*::~::*::~_

"Settle down, settle down."

It was sixth period gym class, and Miku shared it with Meiko, Gumi, and Rin. They were outside on the gym court and dressed in the classical Japanese gym uniforms; short red shorts, a red-trimmed T-shirt, and red-and-white tennis shoes, though Rin always grumbled that they should change the color scheme to orange.

The gym teacher, a green-haired 24-year-old by the name of Sonika, paced in front of the restless crowd of children. In front of her were twenty dodgeballs. She smiled kindly and continued.

"I presume you all know the general concept of dodgeball, yes? Good; each of you has already been chosen for a team, and the captains, too. No crossing the line; if you're struck, three laps around the school; and keep your limbs to yourself, please. Team Mizuiro will be called first; afterwards is Team Momo. Go to your respective sides: Mizuiro on left, Momo on right. Do we all understand? Good. When I call your name, go to the left side of the court. Then, I will take a brief pause, and those who are called afterwards will go to the right side. Okay ... Mizuiro's team captain is Sakine Meiko. First on the team is Shion Akaito ..."

It continued like this until everyone was on a team. Meiko and Zatsune, the two team captains, stood in front of their teams and sized each other up. Sonika blew a whistle and held up a hand.

"Ready, set ... BEGIN!"

She threw the dodgeballs into the court and at once the teams became a procellous of children. Kids fought over balls and smacked person after person with them. Some of the stricken burst into tears.

Miku was so busy trying to dodge the balls that she didn't notice one was hurtling towards her until Gumi shrieked, "Miku! Watch out!"

Surprised, Miku whirled around, missing the missile by a hairsbreadth. She grinned at Gumi and shouted "Arigato!" Before chasing the ball and picking it up. She straightened, turning back around.

**_WHAM!_**

Miku crumpled, shocked, and dropped the ball. She clutched her eye and stared at the shoe beside her that had collided with it. Liquid from her injured eye seeped down her fingers.

"Miku!" Rin screeched in alarm and ran to her friend. Meiko glared at someone on the opposing side and sent two dodgeballs hurtling at dangerous speeds, emmiting two loud screams from the other team. The brunette then dashed to Miku.

"I got that bitch, Miki. She's the one who threw the shoe, curse her! Come on, Miku. Let's get you to the nurse."

Miku's other eye was now brimming with tears. How could Neru and her crew hold so much hate for her? Wasn't it enough that they were trying to sabotage her relationship with Len?

Rin helped her up, murmuring consolences, while Meiko shouted to Gumi to take her place as team captain. Gumi shouted back and waved at Miku before snatching a dodgeball from midair and shooting it back toward Team Momo.

"Okay, just hold this over your eye and it should hurt a bit less."

Miku pressed the freezing icepack to her eye, wincing as it throbbed as if in protest. The one bright teal orb had swollen into a large, unsightly indigo shiner, and was unnlikely to heal for weeks. Miku choked back a sob as she thought of the eyepatch she'd have to wear to avoid irritating it. Neru would tease her about being a pirate ...

She was swung from her reverie by the sound of a frantic voice.

"P-please, Momo-sensei, w-we got a pass for the rest of the period-"

"Yes, signed and all by Prima-sensei."

A shuffling of what sounded like paper.

"Hmm ... fine. But once the bell sounds, you must go and pack up!"

"Arigato, sensei!"

"Arigato, sensei!"

Miku heard two pairs of feet walking quickly down the hall toward her room and quickly lowered her head. If Neru and Zatsune came now, she'd fall into peices.

The door swung open, and she glanced up to see ...

"Miku-chan!"

Len ran to her, with Piko close behind. He stared at her worriedly as she tried to cover up her bruised eye.

"R-Rin and Gumi told us of Miki throwing h-her shoe at you..." Piko trailed off, face growing pink. Len looked furious.

"That ... that ..." He took a deep breath. "I can't insult a woman, but what Miki did ..." He shook his head, too angry to speak.

Piko leaned down to better see Miku's face. "We r-reported Miki-san to S-Sonika-sensei before we came down. S-sensei sentenced h-her to a week in detention."

"Though I wanted more." Len muttered, fists clenched.

Miku was surprised to see Len this angry. She'd barely known him for long, and yet he cared so much for her? A warm feeling creeped into her chest, warming her. She blushed and looked away.

She was grateful when Piko broke the awkward silence by saying, "S-So ... would you l-like to stay h-here longer, or g-go back to class? The bell w-will ring any moment."

As if to verify his statement, the bell trilled loudly. Miku started slightly at the noise and looked up at her two friends. She managed to give a watery smile.

"I-I'll be fine ... I think I'd like to rest here for a little bit more. Thank you for coming to see me." She inclined her head in a respectful bow.

Piko walked to the door. "Okay ... w-we'll get your things and bring t-them to your next class for you."

Len followed him, glancing back at Miku. He paused.

"Go ahead, Piko. I want to say something to Miku."

Piko looked back at the two of them, an unrecognizable expression flitting across his face.

"All right ... s-see you later, Miku-san. I hope your e-eye heals quickly." With that and a last shy smile, he dissapeared through the doorway.

Len was silent for a moment. Then, he walked to Miku and sat down beside her. She turned her face away, hiding her eye. Another tendril of anger stirred inside him at Miki's actions.

"Miku, is there anything you want to tell me?"

She peeked at him swiftly and shook her head. "N-no, I'm ... fine ..."

She hiccuped, and with a jolt, Len realized she was crying. He dug in his pocket for his yellow hankerchief. Once he had it, he handed it to Miku, who embarrassedly swiped up her tears.

"I-I'm sorry ..." she sniffed as she handed him the cloth square, which he took without complaint. "I'm just ... kind of ..."

"I understand," Len muttered. Suddenly, he pulled her into a hug. Miku was hit by that amazing banana-honeysuckle scent again, and her face reddened.

"Miku, you ... look so much better when you smile. Please don't cry."

Miku's face reddened even more, if it was possible. She breathed in, willing herself to calm down.

A hand brushed against her cheek, and she heard a chuckle. Len drew away, and Miku immediately lowered her head, trying to conceal her blush.

"Er, I ... gomen ..."

Len laughed now, and ruffled her hair. "For what? We all need to cry sometimes."

Miku looked up at his face, at the blue-green eyes that bore striking resemblance to Rin's, and felt her sadness drain away. She pressed the tied icepack that to her eye and smiled.

Len rose and walked to the door. He knew he was going to be late for the last class, but he didn't care. Being with Miku was worth it by far.

Just as he was swinging the door shut, Miku though she saw him smile back.

~::*::~::*::~

_I am the princess, you are the servant._

_Lovers torn apart by fate._

_I remember a smile and a flash of gold hair_

_Though to whom it belonged I have forgotten ..._

~::*::~::*::~

"..."

Neru lounged in an empty classroom with Haku and Zatsune, watching Len walk out of the nurse's office with a skip in his step. No doubt he'd gone to comfort Miku after Miki's little shoe joke ...

She slammed her hand on a desk, making Haku squeak with fright and Zatsune look at her sideways questionably.

"Dammit, why's it always _her_?.! Why won't he look at _me _like that!"

Zatsune sighed. "Maybe it's cause you always diss her in front of him."

Haku stuttered. "O-or perhaps i-it's because y-you made M-Miku c-cry that one time i-in the c-courtyard ..."

Neru flashed an annoyed glance at her. "She was faking and you know it. Ugh, what can I do to make him forget that bitch?"

Zatsune smiled evilly. This was her forte. "I say we throw a little shindig and invite everybody to it. And then, when Bakaloid and her friends arrive, we split them up 'till she's left alone. Then, we go up, pretend to see the error of our ways, and lead her under that chandeleir that I have. But little'll she know, the 'lier's gonna be _loose. _We get Nero to do a little _stomp _for us upstairs, and-"

"-down goes Bakaloid," Neru finished. She revealed her hyena-smile. "That'll put her outta commission for a while, don'cha think?"

Haku, who'd been listening in silence, squeaked nervously. "B-but, don't y-you think t-that's a-a little h-harsh to-"

"Can it, Baku!" Neru leaped from the desk and advanced on Haku, who backed away, terrified. "You and your stupid cold feet. _'Don't y-you think t-that's a-a little h-harsh?'_" Neru clenched her fist. "You remind me of your stupid cousin, Piko Bakatane. All that damn _stuttering!_"

At this point, Haku was backed into a corner of the classroom. Zatsune watched eagerly, smirking cruelly. Neru raised her fist.

"Maybe _this _will knock the stutter outta ya!"

White stars exploded in Haku's vision as Neru's fist collided with her cheekbone. A blow to her stomach winded her, making her crumple to her knees. Neru sneered down at Haku as the white-haired girl lay, gasping, on the classroom floor.

"Don't stutter so much, Baku."

She and Zatsune departed, leaving Haku in a twisted heap on the floor. Once they were gone, Haku took a small bottle from her pants pocket, tears dripping down her cheeks. She unscrewed the cap, and out wafted the inviting scent of the liquid that would make her forget, forget, forget. She licked her dry lips and raised her trembling hand to her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Piko."

She drained the flask.

**Starri: My God, there were so many TEARS in this chapter. I'm so incredibly sorry for the chapter delay, but I get damn lazy sometimes, and I want to start the term with good grades. **

**Teto: *clutches bread* Please review! If you do, I'll perform a free concert of 'Kasane Territory' in your bedroom!**

**Starri: Speaking of Kasanes, I think I'll throw Teto into the fray next chapter! Hooray!**

**Also, there will be a sequel to this fanfiction. I've become overloaded with ideas lately ...**

**Anyways, remember the Energy Cycle:**

****Reviews = energy = faster typing = longer chapters = more story!****


	5. Willing

**BAM! BAM! BAM!**

Piko grunted and sat up, blinking. He glanced over at his bedside clock, becoming slightly more alert at the sight of it being 2:30 in the morning. Who the heck could be knocking at this hour?

**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**

The white-haired boy groaned as he staggered out of bed. Faintly, he heard his parents stir in the room next to his.

"Ugggh ... Mizki, will you ..?"

"T-Taito, I've worked for 14 hours and I ..."

"Okay, jusss let meee ... gech uchp ... craaaahhh ..."

Piko sighed as his father's sentence trailed off into a long snore, which joined his mother's. He reluctantly pushed open his sliding door and groped his way downstairs, flicking on the light switch when he felt it. More knocks sounded against the front door, and he moaned out a "C-coming ..." as he stepped into his fluffy black slippers. Once at the polished oak door, he peeked through the peephole and nearly fell over in shock, wasting no time in unlocking the door. He quickly threw it open.

"Haku?.!"

Haku stood there, soaking wet from the earlier downpour, cloudy-eyed, and shivering from the cold of the night. Piko hurriedly ushered his cousin in, securing the door behind her.

"H-Haku-chan, w-what happened? W-why aren't you back a-at Ia's house? Wha ... Haku?"

Haku had collapsed in a crumpled heap on the dark grey carpet. Piko squeaked in alarm.

"H-Haku-chan, p-please hold on, l-let me g-get y-you to m-my room a-and I c-can unroll a-a f-f-futon ..."

Trembling with fear and concern, Piko rolled Haku over. He gasped at a large bruise on her cheek. As his fingers grazed it, Haku's hand shot up to grasp his and her eyes momentarily lost their bleariness.

"She's after me ... and _her _... s-she's obsessed with getting her ..."

"Who?" Piko said desperately, squeezing Haku's hand gently.

Haku let out a pitiful whimper. "N-Neru ..."

Haku's hands now wafted to the front of Piko's night shirt, clutching at it desparately. Her breath smelled of alcohol ... a _lot _of alcohol.

"O-onii-chan, please ... d-don't let her g-get me ... onii-chan ..."

Her hands slipped from Piko's shirt and thudded lifelessly against the floor, and Haku's eyes fluttered shut. Piko wailed, tearing up.

"Haku! Haku, please! Stay awake ... stay awake ..."

Trembling violently, he staggered up to his parents' room and burst in, effectively shaking them from their dreams.

"Piko, what-?"

Piko clutched the bedpost to keep himself upright. "I-it's H-Haku, s-s-she's b-been d-drinking a-a-and s-she ..."

Mizki leaped from the bed, having heard enough. "Lead the way," she said grimly. Piko staggered back downstairs, clutching the rail as he did so.

Mizki, Piko, and Taito, who later joined them, lifted Haku onto their couch, with Mizki calling the paramedics afterwards. They all rode with Haku to the emergency room, where they were sat in chairs just outside of Haku's ward. After an hour, a nurse exited and informed them that Haku was in a temporary alcohol coma and would wake up somewhere around noon the next day. Piko sat stiffly while his parents were granted permission to enter the ward, then slowly drew out his cell phone. His fingers instinctively dialed the number.

A tired male voice appeared on the other line. "Kagamine residence, four o'clock in the mornin'. How can I help you?"

"Len, I need to speak to Kaito. I know he's spending the night over there." Piko's voice was surprisingly steady.

Len was instantly alert. "Piko? Kaito's asleep, what do you need him for?"

"I need two tubs of mint ice cream. Right now."

~::*::~::*::~

_You are the princess, and I am the servant_

_Lovers torn apart by fate._

_There are many ways to kill a sparrow_

_But also many ways to shield it ..._

_~::*::~::*::~_

_"Mommy, why's Father lying so still?"_

_Ia looked down on the small white-haired child, who had her long hair tired in a black-and-blue ribbon. Ia sighed._

_"That's because he's in a coma, Haku-chan."_

_Wide red eyes blinked innocently. "Acoma? Where's that?"_

_Ia squeezed her daughter's hand gently. "It's a magical place, Haku-chan. It's where Father will talk with Kami-sama to see if he gets to wake up."_

_"And what if he doesn't wake up, Mommy?"_

_"Then ... he has to go someplace else, Haku."_

_A small hand slipped out of Ia's to be placed on a round, pink chin in an expression of curiosity._

_"Really? Where, Mommy?"_

_Ia glanced back at her husband, lying still and unresponsive on the bed._

_"To a place that only he can tell us about."_

_For a moment, the small blancette child was silent. Then she spoke._

_"What made him go to acoma, Mommy?"_

_Ia blinked and tried to hold back a torrent of fresh tears. She turned away, leading her only offspring behind her._

_As the two exited the hospital, Ia finally answered._

_"It was the alcohol, Haku. It was always the alcohol."_

_~::*::~::*::~_

Rin grinned as she pulled Miku into the band room.

"Miku-chan, there's someone I want you to meet!"

"Ugh, Rin ..." groaned Miku, tugging feebly at the blonde's hard grip. "Every time you want me to meet someone, they end up ruining my life."

Rin pouted, stopping just inside the doorway. "It wasn't _my _fault! How was _I _supposed to know Ruko was evil?"

Miku groaned and allowed Rin to yank her over the threshhold. "Fine ... but just this once."

"Don't you bet on it~"

"Trust me, I _won't_."

It was twenty minutes before the bell, and Rin had made sure to sneak out extra-early to steal Miku and get to school before many others were there. Miku had complained loudly, but Rin bribed her with a free leek plushie coupon to a cute trinket shop called _Puff Plushies_, which efficiently shut Miku up.

Rin turned from Miku and called into the band office. "Hello, Tetopetenson-chan? The girl I told you about is here!"

Miku jumped back as a small girl with pinkish-red hair that was styled into twintails and two red eyes appeared out of thin air. She wore a small frown and her eyebrows were scrunched together. Miku only had time to think about how adorable this girl looked before the girl shrieked.

"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT CALLING ME TETOPETENSON-CHAN?.!" The girl, who was apparently named Tetopetenson, stomped her tiny foot in obvious discontent. Miku nearly fell over from the sudden shock. Rin, who was obviously used to this, rubbed the back of her head sheepishly in an expression similar to Len's.

"Err, well, nobody's here and I thought I-"

"LISTEN UP, KAGAMINE!" Tetopetenson shrieked in her low and slightly robotic voice, "THE HELL I CARE IF NOBODY'S HERE! I OWN THIS ROOM AT _ALL _HOURS OF THE DAY! I WANT TO BE CALLED TETO, AND TETO ONLY!" Teto leaped on a chair and put both fists on her hips, stiking an adorably furious pose.

Rin sighed in exasperation. "All right, all ready. I'll call you Teto."

Teto seemed to puff up in anger. "OH? YOU EXPECT ME TO LET YOU OFF JUST LIKE-"

"Teto, I think you've made your point quite clear."

A young man with long hair the same shade of Teto's strode into the room. His hair was tied into a low ponytail that was curled at the ends, and he wore glasses, giving him a scholarly look. He smiled at Miku and Rin, gazing at them with gentle red eyes.

"Konnichiwa. I am Kasane Ted, and this is my younger sister, Teto."

"Yes, we're the band directors!" piped Teto, who had seemingly forgotten her anger.

"Actually, I am, she just helps out-"

"A LOT, might I add!"

"Okay, a _lot. _Anyways, you must be Miku, our new recruit. Rin tells me you're skilled at the piano, and we really need a pianist."

Teto bounced excitedly, still on the chair. "Joii! There hasn't been a pianist ever since what's-her-name left!"

Miku smiled. "I'd love to be pianist, but I'll have to get my bro- I mean, _parent's _permission first. Do you have a form I could bring home?"

Ted smiled softly. "Yes, they're in my office. Allow me to go fetch one."

As he strode away, Rin let out a sigh. "As, Miku-chan, isn't he just _hot_?"

Teto squeaked indignantly. "Hey! You keep your paws off my aniki!"

Rin laughed. "I'm just kidding, Teto-chan. Anyways, Miku, there's one thing you have to do if you want to join the band ..."

Miku looked at her curiously. "Which is ...?"

"Here you are, Miku-san."

Ted had returned and was now holding out a blue form. He pointed to the places where signatures would be needed.

"Okay, just sign here, here, twice here, here, phone number here, allergies here, and twice more here. And then I'll need your signature here."

Miku stared at all the lines. There were barely any words! "I'm not joining some sort of secret millitary, am I?"

Ted laughed. "No, but we've learned from experience that all of these things are needed."

Rin grinned as the bell rung. "Well, we've gotta go. See you later, Kasane siblings!"

Ted waved her off. "Yes, tomorrow I think."

"See ya, Miku and Rin-ka!"

Miku continued down the hall, laughing at the scowl on her best friend's face.

~::*::~::*::~

_I am the princess, you are the servant_

_Lovers fated, yet delayed._

_Picking my way through this vineyard of sorrows,_

_I can only hope to see your light._

~::*::~::*::~

Piko gently grasped Haku's pale hand as she wobbled out of the hospital room, wearing a long silver silk gown. Mizki and Taito had gone down to the cafeteria to fetch lunch, and as soon as they were gone Haku had begged Piko to help her walk around.

"M-my legs are s-stiff," she'd complained, pouting. "A-and the nurses w-won't let me get out of bed."

So Piko had agreed, and was now helping his younger cousin stagger around to wake her sleeping leg muscles. Once in the hallway, Haku sighed and stretched gingerly, wincing as prickles shot up her legs.

Piko looked at her sympathetically. "Weird tingle?"

Haku nodded and bit her lip. "W-weird tingle."

They walked slowly around the floor until they found an empty hallway with a bench situated under a sunny window. With a sigh, Haku sat down, Piko following her actions. She leaned back, eyes closed, and Piko watched her thoughtfully.

There was no doubt that Haku was beautiful; albeit in a pale, wispy way. If she had a dominate attitude, Piko was sure she would have the entire student body under her control. So the question was, why did she let Neru treat her like this? Why did she refuse all help to free her from Neru's tyanny?

And above all, why did she turn to-

"Alcohol," Haku muttered quietly.

Piko glanced at her, suprised. "Nani?"

Haku stared at the ground as she twined her thin white fingers together. She sighed.

"Alcohol. I-It's always been a p-problem for m-my family. It's w-what caused my d-dad t-to ..." She trailed off, tears pricking in her eyes.

Piko quickly took her hand. "I-It's all right, H-H-Haku-chan! Y-You won't be an a-alcoholic." He gripped her hand tighter. "I w-won't let you."

Haku looked over at her cousin, wide red eyes brimming with tears. Her hand trembled, and she suddenly pulled him into a hug.

"I l-love you, A-Aniki."

Piko patter her back and smiled softly.

"S-Same from me, Imouto-chan."

~::*::~::*::~

_I am the hand that pushes and pulls_

_The mouth that insults_

_And the heart that aches, dearly aches_

_For compassion, a second chance ..._

~::*::~::*::~

Neru smirked as she approached her teal-haired nemesis, who was busy talking with Rin and Luka. However, all three of them quieted when Neru neared them, Luka looming menacingly.

"What do you want, Neru?" Rin hissed, glaring.

Neru clutched at her chest in fake shock. "Oh, what a nice way to greet a friend!"Luka snorted. "Friend? Like _hell_ you are!"

Neru ignored her, turning to Miku and handing her three pale purple envelopes that were lace-trimmed. She smiled sweetly, inwardly gagging.

"Here you are, Miku-chii~! I'll excuse your friends'mrudeness, just this once. I _really_ hope you come!" Neru flashed yet another fake grin and waltzed off, smirking evilly once she turned the corner.

Part one of the plan was completed. Now, she had to let the chips fall where they may.

**Starri: Another chapter down, sort of Haku-and-Piko-centric. I even gave Neru some DoE lyrics! Don't worry, I'm not gonna add any HakuPiko romance! Their relationship is purely platonic! Don't get the wrong idea! D:**

**I've been working on this for a while, but with TCAP and stuff coming up I gotta focus on academics, too! thanks to all my awesome reviewers and favoriters! I'm so glad you find my story worth anything ;w;**

**Please stay tuned! And remember, I don't own Vocaloid or anything related to it (save OC's)!**


	6. Apologizing

**Hey, guys! Remember me? It's been a long while, so ...I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't ...**

**Anyways, I am well aware that I haven't updated Barriers in years. And I'm really, really, inexplicably sorry about that. Truth is, I've just completely lost all inspiration for this. When I started writing it, I didn't think the story would get this far, to be honest. Not to mention I've been a lot busier in school than before and have been getting involved in extracurricular activities. And besides that, I have a much better story idea for Vocaloid that's been swirling around my thoughts for _months_ - this time, I'm actually going to finish most of it before I decide to start posting it bit-by-bit on my new account.**

**So, now that I've gotten that out of the way, I'd like to announce something at least remotely positive:**

**THIS STORY IS UP FOR ADOPTION!**

**That's right, you heard me. Barriers is NOW OFFICIALLY UP FOR ADOPTION. Since I can't take care of it as well as I'd like to, I want to give it over to someone else who, hopefully, can restore it to its former glory. The only requirements I have for adopting this story are:**

**1.)- You have to have at least one Vocaloid-based story written. I will check your profile. It doesn't matter if it's finished or unfinished, (though I'd obviously prefer it to be finished ...)**

**and 2.) You have to favorite THIS Barriers before you begin adding onto it. I'd like just a little bit of credit, even if it's only a favorite!**

**Once I have decided on who I'll give this to, I will PM you with the details.**

**But anyways, thanks for sticking with this story. I appreciate that more than you'll ever know. See you later, my dears! Hope someone deems this story worthy enough to adopt ...**


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